Yunah Lee, who is highly active as a soprano in New York, has been recently recognized as one of the major Korean sopranos, preceded by the previous Korean soprano virtuosos, Hei-Kyung Hong, Sumi Jo and Youngok Shin. Since 2002, Lee has performed Madama Butterfly more than a hundred times and she has been enthusiastically playing her role as the tragic heroine.

In 1993, Lee was a student atthe New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston and since her recent visit to Boston is not her first, she said she wants “to present a better performance since many people I’ve known in Boston in the old days will be coming, including my friends and my pastor.”

She also said her favorite comment is that “both her performance and voice resonate throughout the entire hall”.

Although the upcoming Madama Butterfly will be her 112th stage appearance, she feels nervous as she always does before the performance. However, when there is a moment of interaction between her and the audience, it works as a source of energy to her and she becomes more immersed in her character.

After attending NEC, she graduated from Juilliard and she performed as a member of Juilliard Opera Center until 1997. Also, in 1996, she made her New York City Opera debut as ‘UiKo’ of the United States premiere opera, ‘Kinkakuji’. After her debut, she received a lot of favorable reviews from the audience and critics. Most of the compliments were about her “powerful voice and beautiful lyrical tone.”

Lee’s upcoming performance, Madama Butterfly, is one of Puccini’s top 3 masterpieces. The setting of the opera is the end of the 19th century in Nagasaki, Japan, when the city was at the height of developing as an open port, and the story is about a young geisha, Cio-Cio San’s tragic love.

One can feel Lee’s sorrowful aria, “One Fine Day” during the opera.

Madama Butterfly will be presented on November 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, and 11th at the Citi Performing Arts Center SM Shubert Theatre.

Yunah Lee, who was recognized in New York as a great Korean soprano flowed other remarkable Korean sopranos, Hei-Kyung Hong, Sumi Jo and Youngok Shin, is performing Madama Butterfly at the Boston Lyric Opera on November.